


Safe Haven

by Medu_Nefer



Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: Aftermath of Torture, Angst, Friends to Lovers, Galra using Altean words, M/M, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Pining, Post-Season/Series 05, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder - PTSD, Rating May Change, but there's some fluff too, so much love, some s6 spoilers may appear but they won't be glaring
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-07-17
Updated: 2018-12-05
Packaged: 2019-06-11 01:38:12
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 3
Words: 15,713
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15304569
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Medu_Nefer/pseuds/Medu_Nefer
Summary: Krolia is an experienced member of the Blade of Marmora and due to her skills is often send off to infiltrate dangerous bases. During one of the raids she stumbles upon an abandoned human prisoner who's completely broken - tortured, dirty, starving and terrified, he won't react to anything or anyone.She can't leave him behind, though. So she takes him with her to the Blade headquarters where she hopes her half-human son will be able to reach the man and at least calm him down enough to start eating and drinking again. She dares not hope for anything more, not after witnessing the state he was in.But shocking revelations are made and the man appears to be someone so much more important than Krolia could have ever imagined. But if he can't return to his old self, is there any place for him in the war? Will he even be willing to fight the Galra and put his life in jeopardy again? Is anything in the universe worth the risk?Anything... or anyone?





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> I'm still not sure how graphic in certain areas I want to be, and I still don't really grasp the tags yet, so they may change as the story (hopefully) goes. I tend to abandon stuff, so it's possible it's never going to be finished. *fervent knocking on wood*
> 
> In my country we learn British English hence I use this one. I know it ought to be American but I've never even touched a book written in it, so I have to make do with what I have.
> 
> Anyway, not stalling any longer, enjoy the read!

A loud explosion in one of the control rooms caused an intrusive siren to sound, red lights flashing all around. Krolia crouched when everything around her shook forcefully, her eyes narrowing. The bombs went off sooner than they were supposed to. Thankfully, after Commander Gnov ordered her soldiers to relocate in order to make her army's movements quicker, very few Galra remained in the base itself, making her mission somewhat easier.

She looked at the door, her fingertips brushing her gun's hilt instinctively, comforting her just the tiniest bit.

'Kolivan had better not sent Keith to any similar location,' she murmured under her breath, remembering all the outwardly insignificant incidents that had, in fact, delayed her schedule and forced her to plan a new exit route offhand. She knew the boy was a skilled warrior but she still hoped he hadn't encountered any unpredictable trouble.

Suddenly, one of the consoles beeped, signalling the end of downloading data. She unplugged the log and reached for one more bomb to ensure she wouldn't be tracked for the sake of her future missions. She quickly planted it beneath the edge of the counter to keep it out of potential users' sight and set the timer before fleeing from the room.

Merely a few steps were enough to send chills down her spine. She found herself in an abandoned part of the base, namely old prisoners' cells. They had been out of use for years now, with very few exceptions. She heard rumours of some captives held in those cells - too dangerous to be kept with anyone else, or meant to be executed without people knowing.

She shuddered minutely and continued walking. She turned a device on her wrist on and glanced at a small holographic map displaying from it. She had already lost a lot of time, she couldn't allow any more delays. Krolia quickly uploaded the newly downloaded data into the device to sync it. Some areas coloured, glyphs decorated gates, dots appeared in various rooms.

Someone was locked up in a cell just a little way off her route.

Krolia froze, staring at the small dot representing the only prisoner. She was weighing her options and trying to make a sensible decision. She should be on her way back to the headquarters where Kolivan would estimate the mileage of the data she had acquired and assign her to a new task. And since she held quite a high position and still hadn't been compromised, she had to stay out of the rebelling Galra's sight - which could be impossible if she lingered.

But an enemy of the Galra Empire could be an ally for the Coalition - especially if they were considered dangerous by the high-ranking officers.

Her eyes narrowed and her muscles tensed as she made her decision. Kolivan had often berated her for her impulsive behaviour but in the end, the risks she had taken usually proved worthwhile. Besides, if the prisoner was of no use to them, she could always just leave them or let them go.

She upped her pace, checking how much time she still had before the detonation, and ran towards the proper block, preparing her gun. She turned the last corner and brought the weapon to her face, ready to aim, but there was no one there. Not a single soldier stood guard by the door or further along the corridor. She frowned and let her arm drop, still cautious.

Eventually, she decided it was safe to redirect her focus to the prisoner. She approached the door and put her free hand on the cold metal. Krolia removed the bolt that obscured the eyehole and looked inside.

There was no source of light in the cell but she could see the distinctive shape of a body. The prisoner wasn't chained but she could make out a physique too burly for a female, although visibly haggard. The man didn't react to the faint noise, as if he hadn't heard her in the first place. Not even turning the lights on got his attention. He sat on the ground in the far corner of the cell, curled in on himself so that his face was pressed into his knees, additionally secured by his arms wrapped around his body. Even from her spot Krolia could see he was human, and her heart seized in her chest. How many of them had the Galra truly abducted?

Driven by her memories, she unlocked the door and stepped inside the confined space. Her nose was immediately assaulted by an odour of blood, sweat, dirt and urine that almost had her doubling over. It was clear the man had been abandoned quite a while ago and no one cared nearly enough to keep him alive, no one bothered to give him the vilest goo to eat. Perhaps that was the point, let him starve or die from an infected wound.

What worried her was the fact that the prisoner hadn't even shifted. She could hear his ragged breathing but it was the only sign of life still smouldering within him. He wore the foulest tatters that didn't cover nearly enough to help him maintain any heat, his head was covered in a crust of tangled, tousled hair. The visible parts of his body sported either bloody gashes and bruises or already healed scars. How long had he been imprisoned? More importantly, what had been done to him?

'Hello?' she asked quietly, trying to get the man's attention.

Nothing. No reaction.

Krolia bit her lip and approached him slowly. She wasn't sure if he could sense or see her so she tried to emanate calm and peaceful intentions in case he was doing just that. But even when she crouched right next to him, ready to spring to her feet at any moment, he still appeared oblivious to her presence.

It was only her touch that resulted in a reaction. When she gently brushed her hand against his arm, he flinched, curling up even further and pressing his back to the wall behind him, and whimpered. His voice was broken and hoarse as if he hadn't used it in a long time.

Krolia had no idea how to proceed now. Whatever the man had gone through, it broke him. He was unable to make contact with her, and if he did, he was bound to see her as an enemy. She'd probably have to drag or carry him and while the action itself wasn't a problem, the logistics presented one. She would be defenceless and definitely slowed down. Reaching her craft would be seriously hindered and she couldn't even trust the man not to attack her at any moment.

But how could she just leave him behind for certain death? He was at least partially human, as her dear beloved and her own child.

Keith, she thought suddenly. Keith could help him. They were more or less the same species and the boy should be arriving at the headquarters any time now. He could at least try to make him eat and drink, maybe wash too. Anything more seemed unlikely, but for her it was good enough for now.

Her face creased with determination and she stood up, leaning over the man. He started shivering violently, his head ducking even further. When she put her hands on his trapezius muscles, he made a stream of sounds that were presumaby meant to mean "no" but came out as something human body shouldn't be able to make. It sounded feral, broken and so utterly tormented - just because of the simplest of touches. It made her heart lurch. This man had probably been a strong person, full of determination and defiance, and then had the misfortune of getting into the Galra hands. For the first time in forever, she felt ashamed of who she was.

'I mean you no harm,' she said slowly in a calm, steady voice. 'I want to help you. I am not your enemy. I am getting you out of here.'

When she shifted her stance to pick him up, he wailed, proving to be completely uncomprehensive. She set her jaws and ignored every terrible thought of the agony he had obviously gone through. She couldn't afford to dwell on this. She needed to get them out of there.

She switched her grip on the man and hefted him into her arms, not letting any of the sounds he was making get to her. He trembled violently and flailed weakly but ran out of strength after a dobosh or so and just curled in on himself as much he could within her grasp. By the time they left the prison sector, he had gone mute as well, resigning himself to his fate.

Krolia refused to lose faith in the man's chance at regaining some level of lucidity but it was a tough fight, one she could only hope she wouldn't lose.

She stumbled when the last bomb she had planted went off and triggered the few which had remained dormant from the earlier premature explosion, but managed to remain upright and not drop the human. Her breath hitched and her heart thundered in her chest momentarily when she realised she had only a few doboshes before her new route got severed as well.

She picked up her pace, deciding she could treat her _charge_ with less delicacy for the sake of their survival. Her steps sounded deafeningly loud to her own ears but fortunately, no enemies crossed her path. She flew past crossroads, branches and halls, focused on looking ahead, preparing for anything, counting the remaining ticks in her mind.

Eventually, Krolia stumbled onto the secluded, smaller landing deck and ran towards her pod. She opened the door remotely and practically ran inside. Unable to afford to lose anymore time, she almost dropped the man on the floor in the far corner and jumped onto the pilot seat, already starting the engines.

The pod lifted smoothly and flew beneath the vault towards the still open gate. Suddenly, a rapid movement caught her eye and she saw sentries pooling onto the deck.

'Quiznak,' she hissed and diverted more power to the engines.

Shots fired but before any of them could hit home, all lights turned red, the gate started dropping and a loud, howling siren filled the air, startling everyone - even the sentries. Krolia regained her composure immediately and shoved the controls, the pod lurching and shooting through the gate.

She kept pushing forward with as much power as she could, expecting pursuit, but soon it became apparent none was coming. Perhaps some important structures got damaged or hydraulics failed and the base was cut off. She didn't have it in her to think about it for the moment. She had more pressing matters at hand.

Slowly, she set the autopilot and stared through the front window at the stars, until her gaze unfocused and she could see the prisoner reflecting in the glass. She watched him like this for a few ticks before taking a long, steadying breath and turning to him. He was quaking badly and his head was pushed into the space formed between his chest and pulled up knees, leaving no facial features on sight. His breathing was incredibly loud.

Krolia stood up and approached him hesitantly. She stopped short after walking barely a few steps, though, her eyes widening.

He was having a full-fledged panic attack.

He was panicking and she couldn't do anything because she was the reason of the attack.

She stared at him for the longest time, her eyes glazing over. When he started keening softly and rocking back and forth, his back connecting with the wall behind him with hollow thuds, her hope waned. He hadn't distinguished her words, hadn't even noticed he wasn't in a prison cell anymore. He was out of touch with reality to the point where bringing him back seemed impossible.

Of course, she wouldn't just give up on him and dump him into an empty, dark room to live out the few days he still had before him. She would give it a shot - or try convincing Keith to do so - and live with whatever came out of this.

Ignoring the wailing wreckage of a man behind her, she sat down in the pilot seat and focused on flying the pod. Hours went by, and the man slowly calmed down. Hours turned into days, each bringing no less than seven panic attacks, eventually draining all hope from Krolia, leaving only her tenacity. The ex-prisoner didn't eat or drink on his own and she had to force water and some bland food goo down his throat, inducing even more attacks.

When the asteroid housing the Blade of Marmora headquarters finally came into her view, she couldn't evoke a shred of joy - perhaps save for the prospect of seeing Keith again. She felt worn out both physically and mentally. She just wanted to curl up in her bed and sleep through the next couple of weeks, blissfully unaware of anything.

She's been hailed by Ilun upon her arrival but there was no one waiting on the landing dock. Perhaps it was for the better. She probably wouldn't be able to offer them more than a weary smile and a small nod anyway. And she had more important matters on her mind than catching up with her colleagues.

Once again, she hefted the saved prisoner and hauled him to the most isolated quarters she could find, making sure to choose the least used corridors. She knew she would have to report everything to Kolivn soon anyway, but for now she wanted as much peace and quiet as possible to not upset the man further. He was already distressed, heading into his fourth attack that day.

Krolia briefly wondered how he managed to retain enough energy not to pass out but quickly discarded the thought. Humans were stronger and more resilient than they looked, she knew.

She entered the small, dimly-lit room, closing the door behind her with her hip, and approached the far wall, carefully lowering the man onto the floor. He scurried away immediately, resuming his usual position with ever-present tremors.

'Hey,' she said quietly after watching him for a while. 'I'm going to leave you here for a moment. I'll be back soon.'

No change - no reaction. With a heavy sigh she left the room, locking the door behind her. She didn't want him to feel like he was in a cell again but if he somehow got out and found himself surrounded by dozens of Galra, he could snap once and for all.

Krolia walked to her quarters, wishing to refreshen herself before seeing anyone. There was no dust in her room but it was obvious no one had entered it while she was gone. She stopped by the bed and looked round, her eyes sweeping over what little gear she had, feeling both out of place and at home. A small smile tugged at her lips at the thought. Home wasn't a place. It was a feeling. And her heart yearned to one person, currently stationed just a few corridors away.

She approached the head of the bed and the neatly folded blanket lying beside a single pillow. After a moment of hesitation, she put her hand on the soft, dark purple fabric and when she lifted her fingers, the mark gleamed in a soft, pinkish glow. She smiled softly at all the memories rushing to the front of her mind.

Perhaps she could give it to Keith one day. If he wanted.

Shaking her head slightly, she set off towards the small adjacent bathroom to take a quick shower.

Usually, she used lukewarm water but now she felt like she needed to relax literally all of her muscles, and heat always helped her with that. She didn't linger though, knowing she'd have to report to Kolivan and the sooner it was over, the better.

After she was done, she pulled out her Blade suit and got dressed. Krolia left the room without another glance and headed towards the main chamber, bowing her head whenever she saw any of her fellow Blades. When she reached the chamber, she couldn't see their leader anywhere, which was odd. Usually, he spent most of his days there, planning missions, contacting allies and commanding his troops.

Krolia frowned and walked towards a console that stood to the side, one Blade entering some coordinates into their database. When she approached, he froze and looked up. Before she could say anything, he disabled his mask and she saw a familiar face with a wide grin plastered on it.

'Krolia!' the Blade exclaimed, pulling himself away from the console and towards his old friend. They hugged briefly and when they pulled away, he let his hands rest on her shoulders. 'It's so very good to see you again.'

Krolia chuckled. 'And you too, Vrek. I'm happy to see you're back in form.'

Vrek grinned again, the scar tissue on his face twisting. 'I always knew I'd be back in the fight before anyone knew it.'

'Well,' Krolia started and jabbed him in the ribs, making him whine playfully, 'I could have used your help in the past couple of years.'

At that, Vrek sobered immediately. They had joined the Blade of Marmora roughly at the same time, trained together and been assigned to the same missions. As they climbed up the ranks, their paths split and connected time after time, but they remained close friends, always able to rely on each other, sometimes still joining the other's missions. And then Krolia ended up stranded on Earth and having a baby with a human, and when she finally came back, it was to find Vrek in a coma after an accident that should have killed him but thankfully didn't - but compromised his position and excluded him from further infiltration anywhere near major Galra outposts. As he slowly recovered, he learned of what she had gone through and did everything he could to comfort her.

But before Krolia's broken heart had had the time to heal, Vrek's health suddenly exacerbated and his survival wasn't so sure. He required multiple, severe surgeries and often had to be put in an induced coma to preserve his life. And Krolia, eager to throw herself into work to quell her grieving heart, was ordered to return to the Galra Empire and serve under Commander Ranveig. Since then, they had no means of contacting each other and she didn't even know if Vrek made it.

And now he stood there, in front of her, alive and well, back in service. A significant part of her life was shrouded in grief and suffering but her old friend's presence soothed some of the pain.

Hesitantly, Vrek lowered his head and pressed their foreheads together, his eyes fluttering close. 'I'm sorry I wasn't there for you,' he said quietly. 'You're like a sister to me, and I'd do anything to help you.'

Krolia gave him a warm smile and gently patted one of his cheeks. 'It's all right, Vrek. All that matters is that we're both here now. Besides, your sombre face is horrible, you look somewhat better with one of those goofy grins of yours.'

Finally, Vrek laughed and let go of her. 'I missed you, Krol,' he said with the softest expression he'd worn in years. Eventually, he got back on track. 'Why are you here? Are you looking for something?' he asked.

'For Kolivan, actually,' Krolia replied, frowning. 'He should be here.'

Vrek turned back to the console. 'He's on a mission. Something important, he'll be back in a few days. Until his return, all reports are to be written down. Actual presentation after he's back.'

Krolia couldn't help but roll her eyes. 'He wants both paperwork and face-to-face meetings?'

Vrek shrugged. 'You know him. The more knowledge, the better.'

Krolia didn't mean to but her body tensed and her brow creased. Vrek sensed the change immediately and paused, glancing at her over his shoulder. 'What's wrong?'

She bit her lip and looked round to ensure they were alone. Then she took a step towards him and fixed him with a stern, somewhat rueful gaze. 'I was in sector U-XY-359. They had an abandoned prisoner there.'

Vrek raised his eyebrows and rested his forearms on the console, intrigued. Remembering the actual aim of her mission, Krolia pulled the log out and handed it over to him to pass it over to the technician who'd use the console after him. To her surprise, he plugged it in and started downloading data. She was about to oppose but he shook his head ever so slightly. 'Regris is dead,' he murmured softly.

Krolia froze, her mouth running dry. Regris had been their friend, showing up a few months after their own initiation. Pushing her grief aside, she took a deep breath to ground herself.

'So? The prisoner?' Vrek inquired.

'I brought him here,' she said, still not opening her eyes. She could sense how he tensed. Sighing, she looked at him and saw him staring at her in mute disbelief.

'You brought him here?' he echoed, his tone neutral. 'Without Kolivan's authorisation?'

'I thought he'd be here.'

Vrek drummed his clawed fingers on the console for a moment, watching her cautiously. 'I think it's still a bit too late,' he stated quietly.

'He's not a threat.'

'How can you know that? Where is he? We need to inform the others.'

The Galra was about to walk away but her hand on his upper arm stopped him. Their eyes met. 'Do you not trust me, Vrek? I know what I'm doing.'

'Clearly,' the Blade winced but relaxed his stance. 'So what do we do?'

'Let's finish with the log and I'll show you why he's not a threat. And why I need Keith.'

Vrek watched her for a moment before groaning, his shoulders slumping. 'It's a human, isn't it.' It wasn't even a question. Not waiting for a reply, he walked back to the console to finish the downloading. His fingers skimmed over the various screens, his eyes never trained on one spot for longer than a tick, proving he was really good at it. Regris rarely spared a glance to the screens at all but Vrek was almost as quick as the deceased Blade, Krolia decided. His forced recovery must have taught him a few new skills, apparently.

Before four doboshes passed, Vrek straightened his back and nodded his head.

'All done,' he informed.

'Follow me.'

Not waiting for him, Krolia retraced her route, her heartbeat accelerating. She couldn't hear him but she could feel his presence and it calmed her a little. Perhaps he would be able to evaluate the saved prisoner's chances better than her. After all, if anyone knew the unbelievable could happen, it was him. If he said there was no salvation for him, it'd probably be the case.

'Krolia...' Vrek started suddenly at some point. When she glanced back to look at him, he was rubbing the back of his neck nervously. 'During the mission at Kral Zera I left Keith behind.'

She couldn't help a smirk blooming on her lips. 'I know, he told me. Don't worry about it, he knew the stakes. It's just the way we're trained. But for him, some things are more important than that.'

Vrek winced. 'He's your son,' he mumbled. 'I should have dragged him out of there or stayed and helped.'

'And why on Daibazaal would you do that?'

'Well, I always did that for you - either hauled you to safety or got my ass kicked with you. And I'd do that for your child as well. If I knew, I would have never left him there.'

She gave him the warmest smile she could muster at the moment. 'Everyone's fine, Vrek. Nothing else matters.'

They continued their march in silence. She knew he felt relieved and that it'd been eating at him ever since he learned about her and Keith's relationship. She wouldn't have blamed him even if something happened, though. Keith was her son, her blood, protecting him was the most important thing for her - but no one else. The others had their jobs and they had to keep their heads on straight. Their goal was to defeat the Fire of Purification and whatever Galra tyranny remained in the universe, not to watch over her hot-blooded offspring.

She stopped before the door, listening for any sounds from inside, but there was nothing. She unlocked the door, stepped inside and moved to the left to make room for Vrek, her eyes quickly adjusting to the dim light. The man was lying on the floor in foetal position and didn't react to their arrival.

After a while, she looked to the side at Vrek and saw him frowning. Before she could stop him, the Galra approached and put an arm on the man's shoulder, saying a quiet "hello?" and almost jumping back when the man keened piercingly. The two Blades watched him push himself up against the wall, this time his right side instead of his back. He rocked from side to side, banging his head against the hard surface, whimpering and trembling.

Vrek stared at him without a word, his eyes wide, his expression unreadable. When he finally turned to Krolia, his eyes were cold. He raised his eyebrows expectantly. 'You expect Keith to help bring him back to sanity?' he asked quietly, jerking his thumb in the man's direction. 'He's a Paladin and a Blade, Krolia. He doesn't know how to treat tortured and broken prisoners of the Galra Empire. I wouldn't get my hopes up if I were you.'

Heavy silence stretched between them as Krolia glanced at them both by turns.

'Do you think there's a chance?' she whispered eventually.

Vrek shrugged exuberantly with a loud huff. 'How would I know? I've only seen him for a couple of doboshes. He's the second human I've ever met. I don't even know what he does on regular basis or how much he understands.'

'He doesn't react to anything I say. It's his fifth panic attack today; at least two more to go. I had to force water and goo down his throat because he wouldn't take them on his own. He's only ever curled up, I haven't seen him standing up yet. His cell reeked of blood, sweat, dirt and urine, and he had been abandoned at least days prior. Is that enough?'

Vrek gave her a sympathetic look. 'Krolia.'

She didn't meet his eye. 'At least give Keith a chance.'

The Blade shrugged. 'If you think it's the right way...' he trailed off and took a step back. 'I'll be at the console if you need me. When Keith returns, I'll let you know.'

Krolia bowed her head in thanks and briefly squeezed his bicep to show him she was grateful for whatever he could provide. 'I'll be here.'

When the sound of Vrek footstep's faded away, she focused on the prisoner once more. Deciding to settle by the opposite wall to sit as far from him as possible, she kept her eyes trained on him, searching for any sign of improvement. At some point, she started humming some lullabyes from Earth but nothing changed.

It felt like hours before the man calmed down enough to stop rocking and whining and even longer before his arms relaxed the slightest bit.

Krolia sighed heavily when he went blank once again. He was a lost cause, wasn't he? She had been stupid, bringing him here. What was she thinking?

Soft knocking on the door startled her, almost making her jump. She raised her eyes to Vrek's head peeking through the doorframe.

'Keith's back,' the male Galra announced quietly, his eyes darting to the prisoner for a moment. 'I'll send him to you as soon as I can.'

'Thank you, my friend. I owe you.' Krolia smiled softly at him.

'No.' Vrek shook his head violently. 'We don't do favours. It is my wish to help you and so I do.'

They smiled at each other for a while until Vrek glanced at the prisoner, back to Krolia, gave her a thumbs up and bowed his head before leaving. She steeled herself, trying to tell herself it could still be a while before Keith was able to come - and that he wouldn't necessarily be able to help. Maybe wouldn't want to.

It felt both like eternity and a heartbeat before she heard another knocking, even softer and seemingly hesitant. Her heart raced in her chest and she sprang to her feet but the door was already opening, long before she'd be able to invite the visitor.

An angular face framed with a bush of dark hair poked inside. The mesmerising purple eyes scanned the room and immediately spotted the curled up figure across the chamber. His forehead creased and his jaws set as he entered the cramped space and carefully closed the door behind him.

'What's going on?' Keith asked quietly after nodding at her in invitation. Her heart ached at the lack of warmer welcome but she didn't expect more. They were still working through some issues, trying to learn more about each other before letting themselves grow closer. It was more than good enough. 'Who's that?'

Krolia approached him and the two of them looked at the trembling man.

'He was an abandoned prisoner, probably meant to die from starvation in one of the most secluded Galra bases. I couldn't leave him behind so I took him in. I thought we might be able to help him recover, maybe your presence would make it easier for him. But...' she broke and let her head drop. She could feel his gaze coming to rest on her in curiousity. Fire erupted within her chest. He might come across as isolated but she could see enough of herself in him to recognise he was determined to help the man. 'He's in a really bad shape, Keith. I-I don't think he can be saved anymore.'

The dark-haired boy frowned, anger painfully obvious in his stance, in his clenched fists, in the narrowing of his eyes. 'What makes you say that? Why would you give up on him like that?' he inquired.

'He's out of touch with reality, Keith. He doesn't even eat or drink. When you touch him, he goes right into a panic attack, and those happen at least seven times a day.' She watched as his face darkened the longer he listened to her. His gaze settled briefly on the man and then refocused on her. 'He doesn't speak, he doesn't distinguish words. He's been broken.'

'Then why did you bring him in?'

'I...' Krolia swallowed hard.

'Why did you bring him here, instead of ending his suffering?'

She looked him in the eye and kept silent. He wasn't accusing her, she knew. He was trying to understand, trying to spark hope in her. She wasn't sure it could be rekindled, though. Not after what she'd seen. There was only so much hope she had to spare.

After a few doboshes of heavy silence, Keith ran one hand over his face and through his hair, sighing softly.

'You're tired, you should get some rest,' Krolia started but he interrupted her by shaking his head.

'No, I'll give it a shot. I'll sit with him. You go. You seem tired, I'm fine.'

She wanted to argue with that. Only now did she realise that she had put her own son in a situation where he would most likely feel like he was up against a wall, where he'd feel like he had no choice but to give his all to help the prisoner. Where he'd blame himself if it didn't work.

Feeling like the worst mother in history, she nodded, tried to smile and left, the corners of her eyes stinging with tears. Before she walked a few steps, though, she bumped into something. Looking up, she saw Vrek's blurred face. The big Galra wrapped one arm around her shoulders and pulled her close without a word, and led her away.

'How about a sparring followed by some quality bonding time?' he offered, giving her a gentle smile that softened his harsh look.

Krolia felt her own lips spreading in a matching smile. 'I'd like that. I missed kicking your ass.'

Vrek's boisterous laughter echoed through the halls.

* * *

Keith watched the saved prisoner for a long while, counting his breaths. He saw the minute shivers that shook the man, heard the rattling sound of his breathing. His eyes trailed the numerous wounds, gashes, bruises and scars that marred his exposed skin. He was certain there were many more beneath the tatters. He ignored the foul smell, understanding it absolutely wasn't the man's fault. If anything, it proved he'd been through hell and still lived.

Eventually, he approached and crouched beside the man.

'Hello?' he asked quietly. No reaction.

He frowned slightly and gently put a hand on the other man's shoulder. He flinched violently and whined, his body quaking.

Keith took his hand back and sat by the wall, waiting for the man to calm down. It took less time than he thought it would.

'Hi, I'm Keith. Keith Kogane,' he said in an amicable voice. He knew he had to keep talking even if it made him feel uncomfortable. 'I'm from Earth and I'm about nineteen, can't really tell now, without a calendar. I'm guessing you're from Earth too, but you're probably older, aren't you? You seem older.'

He didn't expect an answer. He doubted he'd get one. He thought the man's breathing was quieter, but then again it was impossible to tell, what with his voice resounding within the cramped space.

'I wonder where you're from. And where you've been. Have you ever been to Olkarion? I have and I loved it there. It's so quiet and peaceful, and so beautiful. Reminds me of desert. I'm sure you'd like it there too. I can take you there some time, when you get better. It'd be awesome, we could do so many things together. It'd be fun to be Terran friends, wouldn't it?'

He smiled at the memories from Olkarion, at the serene scenery and welcoming people. He didn't let himself dwell on that too long, though, intent on continuing to speak to the saved man. It probably wasn't going to do anything but he still wanted to give his best.

'I wonder what you did on Earth. I studied at the Galaxy Garrison to become an astroexplorer. A fighter class pilot. Although I got kicked out for punching one of the Commanders. After that, I've seen him on TV a couple of times and seeing the bruise made me feel a little bit better.'

A rueful smile graced his lips. Those were dark times he would love to forget. His thoughts were abrupt and disconnected but he doubted it mattered. He spoke about his hobbies, his dislikes, even about his past, although it included a lot of pauses and gritting of teeth. Shiro had been the one to get through to him and help him out and if saving this man required lots of talking, then he was willing to pay the price. For Shiro and everything he owed to him.

'Now I'm a member of the Blade of Marmora and a former Red Paladin. I mean, I probably still am but I'm not piloting the Red Lion anymore. I've also piloted Black for a while but it's not my thing.' He picked at one of his sleeves as his smile faltered. 'Shiro is the Black Paladin. I'm sure you two would get along well. He's been abducted and went through hell and back because of the Galra. They even took his arm.' His hands clenched into fists and an angered scowl found its way onto his face. 'They'll pay for what they've done to him. I'll make sure of that.'

He took a deep breath to calm himself, murmuring a soft "patience yields focus" under his breath. He turned to watch the ex-prisoner closely.

'Anyway, let me tell you more about him. He's tall and broad-shouldered. His hair is dark but his bangs turned white from all the stress. He's got a really strong jawline but it doesn't make him look intimidating. Probably because he smiles so much. His eyes are grey but not the hue of heavy clouds promising a downpour. More like the ones that bring a drizzle that cleanses everything within their radius and brings more colour and depth to the world. He has some lines and dots on them, you know? You could spend an hour looking at them and still be mesmerised.' Suddenly, he realised what he was doing and blushed. 'Not that I ever have. Just giving you an accurate description.'

For some reason, he felt like he wasn't just babbling senselessly. His skin tingled as if he was being watched. The man did seem to have his body turned slightly more towards Keith but then again, he had been shifting himself. And the man's face was as much out of his sight as before.

'He has multiple scars now, the first one you notice is across his nose and cheeks. It doesn't make him look bad, though. He looks... just different, I think. Older and experienced but it also gives his smiles even more depth. Like he's able to be so sweet and nice even after everything that's been done to him. And he's the nicest, most amazing person I've ever met. Too good for this world.

'Shiro's the best pilot—'

He had to break when the man flinched suddenly. Keith stared at him for a while in complete silence, wondering if he had brushed against him unwittingly or upset him in any way. When nothing followed the outburst, he licked his lips.

'Shiro's still with the Paladins—'

A quiet sob followed the name, freezing Keith to the core. His mind was reeling. The man was actually listening to him. He certainly hadn't been from the very start but at some point he had started to pay attention. It was a wonderful news, meaning there could still possibly be a chance for him.

But all Keith could think about was the fear Shiro's mere name invoked. He knew the Japanese was forced to fight on the arena and that those other prisoners from Sendak's ship were afraid of him, but this man was outright terrified. His breathing accelerated and his shoulders shook.

He had to do something. It must have been his talking about Shiro that brought the man's attention - it couldn't be his rambling about Earth and what he liked and didn't like, could it? - but saying the name just ruined everything. He wanted to argue, to explain that the Black Paladin wasn't a bad person, that he was Keith's guiding light, his... his everything.

But how was he supposed to say that without using his name and evoking a panic attack?

'He's great but I'm sure you'd absolutely love my best friend. His name is Takashi.'

The man went rigid immediately. His fingers still trembled but everything else froze, he even seemed to hold his breath. Torturously slowly, the man raised his head to look at Keith.

His face was hidden beneath a layer of smeared dirt, sweat and blood that was extended onto his thin beard and moustache as well. His long hair was tousled, jutting out in every direction, the colour impossible to decipher. There were bruises and swelling that deformed his features and coupled with how his lips were split in various spots, gave an image of how much beating he had gone through. He still must be in so much pain.

The look on his face was feral, almost uncomprehensive, and the cascade of feelings and emotions pouring from his reddened, restless eyes made Keith shiver.

But there was a weird intensity to his stare, to the way his gaze skimmed over the younger man's face as if in search for something.

And even with all that, Keith immediately recognised him.

Blood drained from his face, his lips parting, his eyes widening in disbelief. 'Takashi?' he whispered.

His heart was thundering in his chest, probably bruising his ribs. How on Earth—

'Keith?'

The voice, so weak, hoarse and broken, carried such an insurmountable amount of hope and joy it caused tears to stand in the Red Paladin's eyes.

'Takashi,' he repeated, barely swallowing through a lump in his throat.

He managed to get a glimpse of tears spilling down the older man's cheeks before Shiro lurched forward, slamming hard into him, his trembling arms wrapping around him so tightly it knocked wind from Keith's lungs, his ears filling with the sound of desperate sobbing.

_What the hell?_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ta-dah! What an unexpected turn of events! *gasp*  
> I'm so sorry, bby! ;c
> 
> I don't like the ending, it feels too chaotic and disorganised, so perhaps I'll work on it some time. Or maybe leave it as it is and hope the future chapters will be good enough to mask this disaster.
> 
> Also, Vrek was supposed to appear only to inform Krolia of Keith's return. Instead, as I was writing her entering the main chamber, he just suddenly pushed himself through and yelled "I'M GONNA BE HER BFF, PUT ME IN THERE FOR REAL" and I just did. I mean, who wouldn't want to have their only child abandoned by their bff during a mission, right? So there. Now (at least my) Vrek's a cutie who needs all the love in the universe and I'll fight you if you disagree.


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm having so many fluff ideas it's hard to write this little thingy, but well, I'm gonna try to torture Shiro a little bit more.
> 
> Wish me luck. (Or maybe not.)
> 
> Enjoy the read!

Usually, patience wasn't easy for Keith. It had become easier recently but he was far from being patient in more emotional situations.

Having Shiro's trembling body pressed against him, hearing his weeping, feeling his fingers digging into his flesh through the fabric of his suit, made him feel like he was about to explode. His mind was spinning, his heart thundered in his chest.

He had talked to Shiro a few days earlier to coordinate Kolivan's mission. How the hell could he have been a prisoner of the Galra? He obviously hadn't just been abducted, he had to have been with them for weeks at the very least.

What was going on?

'Shh, it's okay. You're fine. I'm here with you now. You're safe, I've got you,' Keith murmured softly into Shiro's ear, one of his hands cradling the back of the man's head, gently scraping his skin, rocking them back and forth.

Keith had no idea how long they sat like this, both of them shocked, until Shiro shifted slightly and lifted his head from Keith's shoulder. 'Keith?' he rasped, focusing on a spot somewhere on the younger man's neck, the muscle in his jaw twitching.

'I'm here, Takashi.'

Fresh tears spilled from Shiro's eyes but this time there were no sobs wrecking his body. His eyes moved until they landed on Keith's own and locked onto them firmly.

'How?' he whispered. 'You? Where?' he mumbled.

'We're in the Blade of Marmora's headquarters. You've been found in a secluded Galra base and brought in by one of the Blades. She couldn't get through to you and asked me to help, since I'm human, too. She thought it might work.'

Shiro looked at him for a moment longer and then nodded slightly. 'Okay.' His gaze drifted to the side.

Keith hesitated for a few doboshes and bit his lip. 'Do you remember anything?'

Shiro blinked twice. 'The beginning. Some of what followed. Bits and pieces. Then... No. Nothing.'

Keith nodded slowly. He noticed that Shiro had become slightly more coherent. Still far from his old self, but so much better than just a few hours ago. A small smile touched his lips and he couldn't fight an impulse that forced him to pull his best friend closer once again. At first, Shiro went rigid, but quickly relaxed and hid his face in the crook of Keith's neck, closing his eyes and savouring the feeling of a living body beside him that wasn't causing him pain.

'Do you want to eat something? Maybe drink?' Keith asked suddenly, worry creeping into his voice.

'Uh. Yeah. Yeah, I think so.'

His hoarse voice caused Keith's heart to plummet into the pit of his stomach, but he decided not to let it show. He needed to be strong. Slowly, he untangled himself from Shiro but kept one hand on top of the Japanese's.

'Okay, the canteen is just a short walk away.'

'Uh. I... I think I'd rather stay here,' Shiro admitted, his eyes trained on the door, small shivers travelling through his body.

Keith opened his mouth to say something but thought better of it and closed it. Instead, he nodded. 'Okay. I can go and bring something for you.' The way Shiro flinched at the thought of staying on his own and the terror in his eyes terminated the idea on spot. 'Or I can ask someone to get it.'

After a soft noise of consent from Shiro, Keith reached for a small communicator strapped to his waist to request someone's assistance. He typed in the shortest message he could, not mentioning Shiro or the reason why he couldn't do it on his own. He didn't want anyone bursting into the room, scaring him further.

When he was done sending it, he glanced at Shiro and felt his heart break a little bit. He had pulled his knees up once again, wrapping his free arm around them and resting his chin on his forearm. He was staring dead ahead, his eyes empty. With his heart thundering in his chest, Keith squeezed the bruised fingers that still rested in his palm. Shiro brinked rapidly and looked at him, his eyes regaining focus.

'Sorry, I was worried I was losing you again,' Keith admitted, his cheeks reddening from abashment. The corners of Shiro's mouth lifted slightly and the man nodded his head.

'Scream and yell if you feel the need. I might get lost in my head.'

They sat in silence for a few more doboshes, Keith shifting restlessly. He wanted to ask Shiro so many questions but knew it wasn't the time. It was way too soon and he doubted Shiro would take remembering everything too well. So he settled on gently running his fingers along his best friend's forearm, tracing his veins and noticing the small hairs that grew there and reacted to his barely-there touch.

Suddenly, there was knocking on the door. Shiro flinched violently and smashed his head into the wall behind him, his breathing getting loud and heavy instantly. Keith's hands were on him immediately.

'It's okay, Takashi. It's just the food. It's okay. You're fine. I'm here.'

The panic in Shiro's eyes ebbed away and he nodded his head, relaxing. He closed his eyes and rested his forehead on his knees, focusing on his breathing pattern.

'I'll be right back,' Keith murmured and swiftly rose to his feet. He heard a tiny whine leave Shiro's throat when he moved away but he didn't dare look at him.

He opened the door just enough to sneak onto the corridor, his back still visible from the room, and came face to face with Ilun. The Galra female had an annoyed scowl on her face but held a tray packed with food and drinks in her hands. 'I hope you have a good explanation for this,' she growled.

'Yeah, I do,' he said quickly, grabbed the tray and gave her a wide, artificial smile. 'I'll be sure to tell you all about it one day. Thanks.' He jumped back into the room and closed the door behind himself. He heard Ilun's frustrated sigh that was quickly followed by the sound of her footsteps.

Shiro was watching him with wide eyes, his Adam's apple bobbling ever so slightly. His right hand rested on the ground, ready to push him to his feet, while the other was fisted in his clothes - if they deserved to be called that in the first place.

'I've got the food,' Keith said, smiling softly and approaching the man. He watched as his eyes shifted from his face to the tray, taking everything in. His stomach gurgled and he winced, making Keith chuckle.

The younger man approached him and sat down right beside him. He held the tray out for Shiro with a small, encouraging smile but the other man still hesitated.

'Go on. I've already eaten, I'm not hungry,' he assured and saw how Shiro's resolve waned. Eventually, he cautiously grabbed the tray, wincing when his trembling hands caused for some things to fall over, and laid it on his lap.

Keith watched how he _devoured_  the food, getting more and more animated with each bite. When Shiro looked up at him, Keith gave him a soft smile that didn't exactly help with his embarassment but by no means slowed him down. It only took a couple of doboshes for him to be done. He left some of the food, knowing he shouldn't push it after such a long time with pretty much empty stomach.

Keith watched as he took a box of some weird liquid that the Blades drank after trainings to boost their vitamins and minerals' levels. His eyes traced the movement of his Adam's apple, the sharp angle of his jaw looming on the periphery of his vision. He blushed when he realised he was staring.

Eventually, Shiro finished and sighed heavily, resting his head in his hands. He sat like this for a while.

'I can't believe it's over,' he said, his voice hollow. 'I feel like I'm gonna blink and everything will be gone, and I'll be back in the cell or on the table.'

Without a word, Keith leaned into him and wrapped his arms around one of Shiro's. 'I told you, I've got you. I won't let them hurt you again.' He kept his voice steady even though his heart was thundering at the mention of Shiro's time with the Galra. They remained pressed together for the longest time. At some point, Shiro shifted to rest his head on top of Keith's.

The younger man let one of his hands reach out for the edge of Shiro's ruined sleeve, toying with it for a moment. When the Japanese noticed it, he grunted.

'Jesus, I need to wash.'

Keith chuckled quietly. 'Yeah, you actually do have a smudge of dirt on your face.'

Shiro scoffed. 'If you keep sitting like this, you're probably gonna get stuck.'

Keith tried to laugh but it was the most pathetic attempt at humour he had ever witnessed. Shiro was a dork. The loveliest, most adorable dork. Period. Jokes and laughter came naturally to him, he was at such an ease when laughing. And now it all felt and sounded hollow. Sure, he was being his awfully considerate self and saying that for Keith's sake, but his heart wasn't in it. And Keith felt it more keenly than Shiro could ever suspect.

'There're baths nearby. Most Blades resort to using their suites' built-in bathrooms, so those are gonna be empty. Also, it's really late now and everyone will be either sleeping, manning the consoles or leaving for their assigned missions. We'll be alone. We can go there if you want.'

Shiro was tense again. He didn't speak for a dobosh or so and Keith could literally feel the conflict within him.

'Will you stay with me all the time?' he asked quietly.

'I'm not going anywhere,' the younger man assured. 'We'll just stop by my suite and grab some towels and clothes. I've got some oversized ones from when Kolivan thought I'd have some insane growth spurt if you want them.'

Shiro nodded curtly. 'I'd like that.' Not that he had much of a choice.

They got to their feet and Keith grabbed Shiro's hand to ground and guide him. The Japanese jumped at any alien sound, looking around and swallowing hard incessantly, his fingers tightening around Keith's. When they got to the younger man's room, he relaxed slightly but still didn't seem anywhere near calm. Keith quickly grabbed the needed equipment and, not stalling any longer, led Shiro into the baths.

The area was dimly-lit but there was enough light to see properly. The tub they approached wasn't big, just about enough for five or six grown Galra to feel comfortable. Steam rose above the surface and added to a thin mist already formed in the chamber. Keith quickly dropped to one knee and checked the temperature.

'Okay. The water isn't hot but you won't freeze either,' he said, turning to face Shiro. 'Do...' he hesitated and cleared his throat. 'Do you want me to get in there with you or would you rather have me sit on the edge?'

'I... I think it'd make me feel better if you were with me,' Shiro murmured softly, averting his gaze.

'Sure thing.' Oh God. He knew he needed to clean himself up after his mission but... _Oh God._

Keith quickly discarded his outer armour and got to unzipping his suit, and after a while heard Shiro starting to move too. He tried not to look - secretely hoping Shiro wouldn't either - but he needed to know if the Japanese had any wounds that needed tending to.

He was just in his briefs when Shiro managed to get himself free from the upper part of his tatters, but it didn't matter anymore.

'Jesus Christ,' he gasped, staring at countless gashes and bruises covering Shiro's torso. One of his pecs sported a cut surrounded by a swollen, reddened tissue, some murque liquid seeping from it. His arms were a mass of bite marks, cuts, scratches and burns. The outer layer of skin on his abs was basically gone, leaving the delicate, inner layer vulnerable. There was a small patch of raw muscle exposed just above his left hip. Other than that, he was basically just one huge, walking bruise of all possible hues.

Keith's hands shot up to his face to cover his mouth as he stared at the horrifying sight, trying to imagine the pain Shiro must constantly felt. Without asking permission, he circled the man to look at his back, ignoring his nervous stutter.

His back was a similar mess, except he could make out whipping marks beneath and on top of it all.

The younger man instantly returned to the pile of his clothes, sorrow and fury coiling within him, and rummaged through his satchels, eventually pulling out a small, flat jar or ointment and a tiny, needle-less syringe. Shiro flinched at the sight.

'Takashi, I need to take care of that infection on your chest and make sure you don't get more,' Keith explained, holding the syringe up for the man to examine it. 'And this salve will ease the pain, keep the tissues flexible and hasten the healing process; I'd like to apply it to your wounds when we're done,' he added hastily. 'It looks terrible, we need to make sure it doesn't get worse. Please.'

Shiro's fear was tangible. His eyes held a feral look, his chin trembled and his body was tense, ready to go into fight or flight reaction. But Keith's own eyes were pleading, glazed over, his breaths barely controlled. Slowly, the older man relaxed and nodded, although his jaws remained clenched tight. Keith couldn't blame him. He knew Shiro was experimented on and syringes would be associated with it immediately. But he was given the permission to continue, and he wasn't going to waste more time.

Remembering his hurried medical training, he gave Shiro the vaccine, hearing him gasp at the acute pain when a needle shot from a hidden compartment of the device and plunged into his body, injecting the medicine.

'It contains a bunch of anaesthetic so you should feel some relief soon,' Keith announced, his voice quivering as he retracted the syringe.

Suddenly, a strong, metal hand wrapped around his wrist and he looked up to meet Shiro's eyes. They were quiet for a moment before the older man gave him the tiniest smile.

'Thank you, Keith.'

The Red Paladin shrugged, some stiffness leaving his shoulders. 'I really don't want you to die from an infected wound now, when you're safe.' He meant for it to sound like a joke but none of them laughed, so he decided to leave it. He turned his back to Shiro to strip from his briefs. He knew Shiro was mirroring him but his cheeks still felt hot at the thought he could see him completely naked.

_Get a grip on yourself, Kogane._

He was the first one to enter the tub, hissing slightly at the heat. The temperature in the base wasn't too high - most Blades had fur and didn't mind some chill. He was fine with it, but the sudden change was slightly shocking.

He had to stop himself from glancing over his shoulder at Shiro. He wanted to see his legs, to make sure there wasn't anything life-threatening there, but that would also mean invading his privacy and he wasn't willing to do that.

Finally, he heard a quiet grunt and looked to the side where Shiro leaned his back against the edge of the tub. His eyes were closed and he breathed slowly through his nose. Keith watched as the mixture of all kinds of dirt dissolved in the water. The younger man grabbed a small cube from his pile of things and reached it out to Shiro.

'There, have some soap,' he said.

The Japanese's eyes opened and he blinked a few times to focus his gaze on Keith. He took the silvery bar and frowned, noticing its slight luminescence.

Keith chuckled. 'Yeah, it's weird, I know. You'll get used to it.'

He grabbed his own bar and started to lather his arms. Shiro stared at the glowing foam, his lips parting in surprise, making Keith laugh.

'It's so cool,' Shiro murmured and quickly copied Keith.

For the most part, they remained quiet, focusing on getting rid of all the dirt they managed to attain. Keith couldn't help but glance at his best friend every once in a while, his eyes trailing the coils of muscles. When Shiro stood on the underwater seat to clean his legs, the younger man blushed furiously and briefly considered drowning himself. He was relieved to see that pretty much all of injuries on Shiro's legs were healed.

'Uh, do you have shampoo?' the Japanese asked eventually, long after Keith himself was done and only continued to soap for Shiro's sake.

Keith grabbed a small bottle with pinkish luminescent liquid and handed it to the man, who frowned at the sight.

'Guess the Blades are suckers for glowing stuff,' he mumbled and poured some shampoo onto his human palm. He returned it to Keith, who quickly followed his lead.

It took four washes before Shiro's hair could be considered clean. Now, while still covered in bruises but without the crust of dirt, Keith could see just how pale his friend was and realised his stay with the Galra wasn't a short one. Once again, he was at a complete loss.

Shiro continued to scrub himself, making sure to clean his wounds. He even tried to wash the small crevices on his prosthesis but it quickly became clear that he needed running water for that.

'Keith, could you... perhaps... shave my face?' he asked hesitantly, glancing at the other man.

'Yeah, of course. But are you sure you're comfortable with me having something sharp so close to you?' Sweet baby Jesus. Touching Shiro's face. While being stark naked. Both of them. It wasn't happening, was it? It was some twisted dream of his. Or he died during his mission and found himself in heaven - a fucked up one but still heaven. Right?

'I think I'm good. Yeah.'

'Okay.' Keith had grabbed a small razor from his room, thinking that maybe Shiro would like to shave, but never had he thought about doing it himself. Still, he would happily oblige. After all, there were no mirrors in the baths and Shiro's hands were still shaking, even the Galra one, so it made sense it would have to be him.

Keith had never in his entire life been more focused than now, shaving Shiro. After a while the other man closed his eyes, completely at ease. Keith continued his job in silence, not wanting to draw blood.

In the end, he did cut Shiro a little bit - just beside the chin - but the Japanese didn't complain at all; he didn't even flinch or hiss.

'All right, all done.'

Shiro's eyes opened and his left hand gently traced the line of his jaw, feeling the smoothness of his skin. He gave Keith a warm smile. 'Thank you. This feels much better.'

The Red Paladin watched as the other man ran his hand through his long hair, apparently not used to it yet.

'I can cut your hair too if you want.'

He didn't realise he spoke until Shiro looked at him. 'You sure?'

'Well, I mean I just thought you might feel better with your old hairstyle and I wouldn't mind helping you with that.'

Shiro's lips spread in a shy smile, one of his hands rubbing the back of his neck. 'I was embarassed to ask.'

'Oh come on,' Keith groaned, rolling his eyes. 'It's no big deal.'

He was worried Shiro would tense up with him behind his back - and with a knife - but once again, he was completely unfazed by the fact. Keith started cutting the locks, wondering if he was going to mess his hair up and force him to shave his head.

He shivered at the mental image and vowed to pay extra attention to what he was doing to prevent this disaster from happening.

'Uh, do you want your undercut?'

Shiro hummed. 'If you can do it, sure.'

Focusing on his task was a good way of ignoring their closeness and Keith briefly forgot about his earlier struggles. For some reason, he felt relaxed, like something heavy had been lifted from his shoulders. He allowed himself a small smile as he worked, wondering if he could get Shiro to sing one of their go-to karaoke songs from the good, old days at the Garrison.

'It was Zarkon.'

Shiro's voice was jarring, even if just barely louder than a whisper, stilling Keith.

Before he could say anything, the older man continued, 'He managed to connect with the Black Lion and teleport me to one of his secret bases.'

Keith felt liquid ice pooling in his veins.

'It's impossible. How could you have been imprisoned and with us at the same time? I found you a couple of months ago in a Galra fighter, remember? A few days ago we coordinated Kolivan's mission together.'

Shiro was quiet for a moment before his shoulders slumped. 'Project Kuron,' he whispered.

'What? What the hell is that?'

' _Kuron_ is Japanese for _clone_.'

Keith's heart skipped a beat.

No. No, it was impossible. It made no sense. Why would anyone make a clone of Shiro? No way. No. No.

'Haggar's sleeper agent.'

'How...' Keith's voice broke and he had to clear his throat before continuing. 'How do you know that?'

A humourless chuckle left Shiro's lips. 'When you've been physically hurt in more ways than you can remember, tangible pain isn't an agony anymore. Mental anguish, though... It can break you. When you know your friends are in danger from a version of yourself and can't do anything about it...' He paused and took a deep breath. 'They told me everything.'

Keith was trembling. His mind was reeling. It was... He closed his eyes, fighting nausea.

'We need to tell them. They need to know.'

Shiro didn't seem to share his point of view. Quite the opposite, in fact.

'They're safe for now. He'll be acting a little differently than me, not exactly used to the situation yet. He thinks he's me but he'll feel lost. It'll make him jumpy and he'll seem reckless, he might even lash out. The others will keep an eye on him. Also, there are stages of the plan, and they can't be induced at the same time, it'd cause him damage and again - the others would notice something's off.

'There's nothing to worry about yet. And it gives us the upper hand too. We know Haggar's schemes and I'm sure she doesn't know about my absence. They were going to dispose of me anyway. But if we tell the others, she might learn about it from him.'

Keith was quiet for a moment, carefully choosing his words. 'It's not all, though, is it? There's something else.'

Shiro tensed but quickly relaxed, sighing heavily. 'Keith, I... I don't want to come back yet. I... I want to regain some composure first. I can't face them now. I can't.'

A quiet sob left his lips when he felt Keith's hand coming to rest on his shoulder and squeezing it gently.

'Okay. But you'll have to tell us everything you know so we can keep an eye on him. And I can't speak for Kolivan. I'm sure we can avoid mentioning you specifically but other than that, I can't make promises for him.'

Shiro was nodding. 'Okay. Okay.'

When silence stretched between them, Keith returned to cutting Shiro's hair. His thoughts galloped at a terrifying speed but Shiro's presence grounded him somehow and helped him remain calm.

'Krolia said she was unable to make contact with you but then you heard me. How?' he asked, deciding it was a better question than "so, what exactly did those bastards do to you?".

Shiro blinked with surprise. 'Uh, I... I'm not sure.' He frowned. 'I think it was your voice. I think it gave me something to latch on. Then I heard your name and I felt it was you. Sure, I had had hallucinations of you before, but this time it _felt_  different. It felt real.'

'And then I said "Shiro" and you almost lost it again.'

'They taunted me by calling me that whenever they did anything to me. They induced hallucinations where a Galra would call me that and when I struck them, they suddenly changed into you and you kept saying that and dying in my arms, over and over again, and I couldn't... I couldn't—' He broke, his breath hitching. Keith paused to gently massage the broad expanse of Shiro's shoulders. 'Whenever I heard "Shiro", it meant pain. I was scared of it.' His voice actually quivered when he said the nickname and Keith's insides twisted painfully.

'It's okay, Takashi. It's over. I've got you,' Keith whispered into his ear, hugging him from behind, stilling his shivers. He only stopped murmuring when Shiro's tremors ceased and the Japanese's own hands came to rest on top of Keith's, pressing them into his chest and allowing the other man to feel his heartbeat.

'Should I go back to cutting your hair now?'

'Oh. Oh, yes, of course. Thank you.'

Companionable silence stretched between them and Keith could think about this whole situation. A part of him was insanely happy to have Shiro all to himself and something in his chest grew warm when he thought about the possibility of taking care of him. He chastised himself for feeling this way but it did nothing to quell the fuzzy warmth.

Just as he was done with cutting Shiro's hair, running his fingers through the short hairs of his undercut, the older man suddenly turned to look at him, a frown creasing his brow.

'You said Krolia saved me but I've never heard about her. Who's she?'

Keith froze, his heart hammering in his chest. He was stupid to feel nervous about it, wasn't he?

He bit his lip and rested his back against the edge of the tub, averting his gaze. Eventually, he brought himself to look Shiro in the eye.

'Krolia is one of the Blades, she's one of the agents on the inside. She's also...' he looked down and breathed out, 'found the Blue Lion on Earth.'

The Japanese's frown deepened further.

'Although technically, she wasn't the only one. My dad was with her.'

Keith watched shock replacing confusion on Shiro's face. His eyes widened and his mouth opened, his jaw slack. Keith gave him a small smile, looking up from beneath his bangs.

'You were rescued by my mom.'

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Aww, it looks like it's all going to be fine now, doesn't it?
> 
> Heh. Yeah. c:


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here we (finally) go!
> 
> Enjoy the read!

 

Shiro's eyes were fixed firmly on Keith, too much of his whites visible, his mouth parted. The incredulous look on his chiseled face forced Keith to look away.

'Your mom?' Shiro asked, the tone of his voice impossible to decipher due to the hoarseness.

'Yeah.' Keith shrugged and made to cross his arms over his chest but caught himself and relaxed his stance. 'It's a long story.'

Shiro watched him carefully for a moment before tilting his head to one side.

'How about we get dressed, do what we have to do, and then talk a little bit? I'm afraid I'm missing out on too much.'

'Okay. Sure. Whatever you say.'

And so the two quickly climbed out of the tub and got dressed. As it turned out, Keith's oversized clothes were good enough for Shiro, although the fit wasn't perfect. Still, it was a far cry from the tatters he had worn before, and he wasn't going to complain. He finally wore something that covered his entire body and kept him warm. He wasn't a big fan of the tightness but he had learned of Galra's fondness of it long ago.

After making sure all of Shiro's wounds were treated properly, Keith hesitated. Shiro saw that and raised an eyebrow questioningly.

'Kolivan's gone on some mission,' the younger man explained. 'So we can't go and ask him what we should do now. You've eaten and took a bath, so I think all we have to do for now is find you a room. And I believe it'll be best if you spend the foreseeable future in a secluded area, so as to not stress you out any further. And my room is quite far from anyone else's, so I think an adjacent one would be perfect.'

Shiro nodded immediately, as if waiting for an opportunity to ask about that himself. 'I'd like that.'

As soon as they left the baths, Shiro tensed. The feral look returned to his eyes and his fingers fidgeted at his sides, drawing Keith's attention like magnet.

As for the younger man, he felt something swirling inside his chest. It wasn't exactly sharp but it was persistent and unsettling, and became more acute every time he laid his eyes on his old friend. Something didn't feel right but he couldn't pinpoint it, and so he pushed the thought away.

'You can set your own code via the inside panel,' the Red Paladin informed Shiro when they stopped by the door to the Japanese's new room, quickly keying in the generally established sequence of numbers. 'No one will try to get inside without your permission but it'll give you a sense of privacy and security.'

'Sure.' Shiro scratched the back of his neck, averting his gaze. 'Do you, uh... Should I tell you the new code as well?'

Keith looked over his shoulder at him. 'If you want to. If it's going to make you feel better, then I'm all in.'

The smile Shiro gave him could melt the coolest ice in the farthest end of the universe. Keith's heart made a sommersault and he had to turn back to the door to hide his quickly reddening cheeks.

He led Shiro into the small room - a bed that a Galra would call relatively small but at the same time could fit three humans, a small wardrobe with a big mirror built into one of the retractable panels, a spacious desk and a chair. There were also two doorways, only one of which contained door. Keith explained it led to the bathroom while the other one opened to a tiny room comparable to a living room. There were two armchairs, one couch and a big screen. It would be a tight fit for two Galra but Shiro guessed it was meant more for the Blades to communicate with Kolivan or record their reports than anything else.

'So, how do you like it?'

Shiro turned to look at Keith who stood beside the bed, arms casually folded across his chest, a smile playing at his lips. Shiro felt a matching one forming on his own face.

'It's great.'

And suddenly, just like that, they both knew they had to move to the serious stuff. They watched each other as their smiles slowly faded, and eventually Shiro moved to sit on the bed with a heavy sigh. Keith followed after a moment and sat just beside his friend, knowing how calming his presence had become to Shiro.

They were silent for a long time, both gathering their thoughts and trying to find the proper words. Eventually, Keith shifted and leaned his back against the headboard. He let his eyes focus on something - anything - that wasn't Shiro.

'After the battle, we were about to wormhole and get away from that site when we realised the Black Lion wasn't working. So Pidge and I towed it back onto the ship. And when we ran into the cockpit, it was empty. You were gone.' He trailed off and took a deep breath, his arms coming to cross over his chest. It still was a painful memory, after all that time. 'I searched for you for months, whenever I could, wherever I could, but I always found big, fat nothing. But eventually, the others talked me into trying to find replacement because regardless of my own pain, the universe needed Voltron. We were in the process of figuring it out when one of the liberated planets sent us a distress signal. And when we got there, we stood face to face with Lotor, Zarkon's son.'

At that, Shiro nodded. 'I've heard of him. Mostly during my first imprisonment. He isn't overly popular.'

'Wasn't. He had been banished but then again he was Zarkon's only heir, so Haggar summoned him. Apparently, he wanted to test the waters before continuing Zarkon's work. He's extremely dangerous and we were a mess. Allura couldn't understand that piloting the Blue Lion was nothing like piloting the Castle of Lions; Lance wasn't used to Red's speed and agility, and I was having a really hard time with Black. Lotor played us well, and my temper and stubborness almost cost us everything.'

The surprise on Shiro's face quickly faded into that awfully gentle smile of his while his hand came to rest on Keith's shoulder. 'Don't be so hard on yourself. One isn't born with the entire set of leadership skills.'

When Keith glanced up at him, he was met with a solid wall of support and pride. A small smile touched his own lips in response. He nodded his thanks and resumed his story.

'In the end, we pulled through and returned to the castle. I had just left to search for you once more when Black picked up your signal. So, we opened a wormhole to your— your clone's location and sure enough, we found him in a Galra fighter. He was barely alive, dehydrated and anoxic, had long hair and a scruff. When he got better, I decided to step aside but Black didn't react to him, so he led us prividing support from the Bridge. As time passed, I began spending more time with Blades, going on missions and stuff. And eventually, it put the team in jeopardy.

'But that time Black accepted the clone and they could form Voltron without me. I stepped back. Left to be with the Blade of Marmora. I heard the team talking about him, though. They said he acted... differently. He was easier to irritate, even blow up. I didn't think much of it, I thought it wasn't so weird, considering everything he had gone through. And that's basically all I've got on him. I spoke to him a couple of days ago and he seemed... normal. Just like you.' He shrugged helplessly. He still had trouble wrapping his mind around the whole thing.

He watched Shiro nod slowly as he took the new information in. He didn't rush him, didn't really even consider it. He knew it was a lot. Damn, it felt almost too much for himself. He could only imagine how difficult it had to be to have someone else looking just like you, acting and thinking in the same ways, knowing every single thing you knew... Basically, a perfect copy of yourself - except it was programmed to hurt those closest to you at any given moment.

'What about your mom?'

Keith looked up to meet Shiro's questioning gaze. 'Oh, yes. Well, Kolivan had sent me on a mission to make contact with one of his agents and extract her from the base. It was her. I didn't realise it at first, even when I was convinced she blew the mission just to save me, even when she was able to awaken my blade.' He fell silent for a while, remembering the moment he had met his mother for the very first time. 'When we got safely off the base, she told me she was able to use the blade because it used to be hers before she gave it to my father. That's when it clicked.'

Shiro didn't say anything for some time until he finally looked seriously at the younger man. 'Why did she leave?'

Keith shrugged, trying to hide his feelings. 'She had been one of two agents sent by the Galra to search for the Lions and ended up picking up Blue's signal on Earth. In order to stop the other Galra from reporting it, she had to shoot him and though she did get rid of him, she crashed. Dad found her and nursed her back to health, and since she was stranded, he took her in. Some time later I was born, and when I was a baby, a new Galra party arrived on Earth and found the Lion. They handled the Galra but Krolia felt like she had to leave to protect us, and so she took the one remaining fighter and did just that. She left the blade for me, saying I might need it one day.'

For a while, none of them said anything. Eventually, Shiro turned to look Keith in the eyes with a soft smile touching his lips. His left, human hand covered the younger boy's and gently squeezed his fingers. It was big and warm, and slightly calloused while still so unbelievably tender and gentle.

'I'm glad you've found her. You deserve to have your family and she loves you more than anything. I'm so happy for you.'

Something in Keith's chest twisted, sending waves of sharp, throbbing pain through his entire body. The look on Shiro's face was too much for him to bear. The unconditional support and belief, and this genuine joy were so much more than Keith ever deserved.

But on the other hand that was just Shiro's default setting - being absurdly supportive and devoted, always there, always there to provide whatever someone needed. He was about a thousand times too good for the world. Keith just hoped he had a good, easy life in other realities. He could barely bear just this Shiro's pain, and the thought of his other versions being in peril made him yearn to save and help each and every one of them.

Though, on the other hand, there were now two Shiros in his orbit. It seemed like a lot of work already, but he was all in.

'Thank you,' he made himself rasp eventually, squeezing Shiro's fingers back. They felt really good in his hand.

They kept looking at each other for what felt like forever, Shiro's smile forming tiny wrinkles in the corners of his eyes, Keith's making all of his sharp angles soften. There was no nervousness between the two of them. More than that, it felt right, like it was the one thing they ought to be doing. Preferably at all times.

Suddenly, Shiro's smile turned a little bit crooked. 'It's my turn now, isn't it?'

Keith couldn't help but wish to take all of this man's pain so he wouldn't have to feel it anymore. It was hurting him already and he felt like he was being stabbed repeatedly, so what difference would it make? He was more than willing to suffer if it meant saving Shiro from any pain.

He was burning for some answers. But it was deeply hurting the other man.

'Only if you feel like it,' he managed, and he truly meant it. He knew he'd accept everything Shiro had told him so far and wouldn't demand more. He couldn't. The Japanese was awfully vulnerable now and he despised anything posing even a remote threat to him or his peace.

Shiro chuckled quietly and the sound sent shivers down Keith's spine.

'Thank you for that but I'm afraid you have to know. It won't be a long story, though.'

Keith nodded, as if the other man needed his consent. Seeing his reaction - as if he waited for it - Shiro tilted his head to one side and focused his gaze on some spot on the duvet.

'When we battled Zarkon, he was constantly fighting me for control over Black. I felt his intentions in my mind and I just barely managed to keep him at bay. But when we struck him, his desperation gave him strength and he managed to push me away and thwart what little connection I had. He was able to use the Black Lion's ability to teleport on me. One moment I was with you all, sitting in Black's cockpit, and the next I was in some faraway base, surrounded by dozens of Galra and their druids.'

His shoulders were tense when he shrugged, as if he was angry at himself.

'I was outnumbered and confused. I tried to fight back but there were just too many.' A crease split his forehead and Keith couldn't stop himself.

He put his other hand on Shiro's wrist, trying to ground the man and bring him back to the present. The Japanese looked at him and his muscles relaxed somewhat. When Keith started stroking up his forearm, the last bits of tension bled away from Shiro, and he allowed himself to lean into Keith

'They imprisoned and tortured me. It's kinda blurry but I remember that at first they couldn't really think of any use for me until Haggar came up with Project Kuron. That's when they stopped hurting me, at least for the most part. They decided to unleash mental turmoil onto me, and it was so much worse. They mocked me and promised the worst. They told me all about the project's successes, they even told me about the procedures leading to the creation of my clones. They had made dozens of them, Keith. Some of them were faulty and couldn't be used but it wasn't a problem. There were just so, so many... They even showed one to me at some point. It was perfectly functional and...' He swallowed loudly. 'He was just like me. He was shocked to see me, he couldn't understand. And then they made me watch as they beat him to near death and eventually shot his head off.'

Shiro took a moment to regain his composure, breathing in Keith's scent and focusing on the feeling of their skin against each other. Meanwhile, the younger boy was fighting nausea and trying to control his rage. Bursting would be of no good and would only upset Shiro. But everything in him revolted against what he was hearing. Zarkon had been evil, single-minded and focused solely on building his empire and its strength, crushing whatever resistance it and he were met with. Lotor - for the short period of time they had been enemies - had been a dangerous, clever foe but at the same had shown some remarkable ways for a Galra. But Haggar... Haggar was the most twisted of them all. Perhaps they should have focused on removing her first, instead of Zarkon. Well, all the more reason to get to it now.

'Haggar has come up with a couple of phases for the project and each one puts her more and more in control, until all of his.. my personality is gone and he'll be connected to her in all possible ways. He'll be hearing her voice in his head and following each of her orders without a single question.

'We need to keep an eye on him and when he starts showing signs of the final phases, we'll have to intervene. But until then, he's just like me. He knows all I've ever known, remembers all my memories, has the same manners and habits.'

When Shiro finished, Keith began to slowly nod his head. He could feel the other man's questioning gaze on himself but couldn't face him. Not yet.

'Keith?'

He hummed noncommitally in response.

'Keith. What's wrong?'

The half-Galra grumbled something under his breath.

'Keith, What's wrong? What... Did... Keith, please.'

The Red Paladin turned his head towards him sharply when he heard a hitch in Shiro's voice, almost like he was going to cry. And sure enough, his eyes were watering and his hands were clenched into fists. His breathing was laboured.

A quiet "shit" escaped Keith as he berated himself inwardly for his stupidity. Shiro was still incredibly sensitive and anything could set him off.

He linked their hands and stared deeply into Shiro's eyes. 'It's okay, Takashi. We're fine. I was just trying not to get very, very mad. It's okay.'

Slowly but surely, Shiro's breathing slowed and his form went limp. After a moment, he relaxed completely and slouched, pressing his entire weight into Keith.

'Oof.'

Shiro laughed when Keith staggered, trying to support them both and failing after a short, uneven fight. The sound attacked the tense atmosphere of the talk and left comfortable ease in its wake. And just like that, they were both laughing maniacally for the second time that night, spurring each other further. Just looking at the other was enough to make tears stream down their cheeks and bellies hurt.

The two lay on the bed on their backs, trying to contain their ridiculous mirth and failing miserably. Nothing was wrong with that, though. Keith knew how much Shiro needed that and he wasn't above making a complete idiot out of himself if only to bring a smile to his best friend's face.

Without any deliberate movement or conscious thought, the two found themselves wrapped tightly in each other's arms, not yet dozing off but in some sort of a trance-like state. It felt like their very own bubble of a world outside of which nothing could exist and that'd be fine by them.

Suddenly, the moment was broken by a persistent sound of Keith's communicator. The boy grunted while reluctantly freeing himself from Shiro's embrace and looked at the screen. He couldn't help but hiss out a curse.

'What's up?'

'Ilun is being a pain in the ass, as per usual,' the American replied, typing in his reply to whatever had been sent to him. 'She's insisting I finish my report and send it to her, tonight, so that it'll be long ready when Kolivan returns.'

Shiro raised his eyebrows and sat up, shrugging. 'Well, I guess you've gotta do it, then. Reports aren't quite as bad as some people think.'

Keith winced and ran his hands over his face and through his hair. 'But I can only do it from my room and I don't want to leave you.'

'That's okay. I'm actually knackered. A moment longer and I would've fallen asleep.'

Keith hesitated. 'Are you sure? She's not my superior, I don't have to do it now.'

Shiro put a hand on his shoulder and gave him a soft smile. 'I'm sure. You go get this done so you don't have to worry about it anymore, and go to sleep. You've just returned from a mission and I know you're just as tired as I am. I'll see you in the morning. We'll both be fine until then.'

Keith took a deep breath and inclined his head. 'All right, you're the boss.' He stood up and went to the door, Shiro at his side. When they reached it, they hugged tightly for a long moment, in that way of theirs that made Keith feel at home regardless of their actual location, until Shiro slowly pulled away. 'I'll see you in the morning.'

Shiro nodded with a smile. 'Have a good night, Keith.'

The boy gave him a smile of his own. His chest felt warm and he was truly at ease, for the first time in a really long time. 'Sleep tight, Takashi.'

And with that, he left.

* * *

 

Keith literally jumped out of his bed, heart hammering in his chest, fingers trembling as he got a grip on his blade, crouched low to the ground and tensed. It was dark, save for a row of tiny dim purple biolights running through the middle of the floor. His eyes adjusted immediately - thanks to his Galra heritage - and he scanned his surroundings, ready to ward off anyone who dared enter.

But there was no one there.

He rose to his feet, frowning in confusion. It couldn't have been an intense dream, he had only just gotten down, perhaps fifteen or twenty doboshes earlier. That, and he had never reacted so violently to any bad dream, which were actually quite rare for him to begin with.

Deciding to finally brush it off as a weird occurence, he made to put his knife away. It hadn't been more than a couple of ticks but he felt as awake as he would after a marathon or something. A small smile tugged at his lips with no apparent reason.

A scream bordering on a shriek cut through the night's silence, spearing him and sending waves of pure terror through each and every single one of his nerves.

'Shiro,' he gasped.

He was moving quicker than he thought possible. His mind was racing, his heart thundering in his chest. He was already sweating by the time he almost face-planted into the door of Shiro's room. Struggling to key in the code the Japanese had sent him some time earlier that night, he quaked when he heard him scream yet again.

He didn't wait for the door to slide fully open before he was pushing inside and taking everything in.

Shiro was sitting in his bed, head clutched in his hands, fingers pulling at his hair with enough force to visibly strain his muscles. He was rocking back and forth, whining and quaking all over.

'Takashi!'

Shiro flinched and jumped as far back as he could, banging his head against the wall and giving another scream.

Keith threw himself at the other man, arms coming to wrap around the Japanese's shoulders as best he could, face smashed against the side of Shiro's. 'Keith! It's Keith! It's okay, Takashi! I've got you! You're okay, you're safe! You're with me now, Takashi!'

Shiro stopped fighting but he still rocked and wailed pitifully. Keith only ever stopped talking to him when he absolutely needed to take a breath or else he'd pass out.

It felt like forever before Shiro calmed down and managed to look at Keith. The American saw him recognise him and before he knew it, Shiro was clutching him tightly and sobbing brokenly.

'I'm so sorry, Keith, so sorry,' he choked. 'I didn't mean to wake or scare you, I'm sorry.'

'Shh, it's okay. I've got you. You're fine. You're safe. Let it out. Come on, let it out.'

And he did, and Keith felt his own cheeks dampen with tears. A sharp, piercing pain emanated from his chest and spread through his entire body, making him feel absolutely useless. He had no idea how he could possibly help Shiro. He would take everything onto himself, face his trauma and turmoil for him. But he couldn't. He could just sit there and hold him, and beg whatever and whoever was listening to help him get through this and lessen his pain.

When Shiro's body finally trembled more out of exhaustion than anything else, Keith carefully manoeuvred them so they were lying in the bed, Shiro's arms wrapped around his waist as he tried desperately to become a blanket to cover as much of the man's form as he physically could. He ran his fingers through his hair, rubbed circles into his shoulders and caressed his neck and face.

'Takashi...?' he whispered after a moment.

'I'm okay.' Shiro rasped. 'Thank you, Keith. Thank you. And sorry.'

'No, stop. Don't be ridiculous. It's fine. Don't worry about me. I'm all about you now.'

'I know, and I hate doing this to you.'

'Then stop that. There's nothing else I'd rather be doing than staying at your side. Don't ever think otherwise.'

'Oh, Keith.'

They fell silent for another long moment until Keith shifted a little to kind of cradle the bigger man in his arms. He made sure Shiro's face was tucked into the crook of his neck and pressed his own cheek against the man's temple.

'I'm gonna stay with you tonight, okay?' he murmured softly, his hands roaming idly over Shiro's back.

The Japanese was quiet for a moment before nuzzling further into him. 'Okay.'

'Try to sleep for a bit. I will be here with you all the time.'

'You too,' Shiro mumbled tiredly against his skin.

Under other circumstances, Keith would be dying. His brain would melt and ooze through his ears. He'd stutter and babble and turn into a puddle of a human-Galra hybrid that he was always meant to be when around the Japanese. Now, though, all he could feel was the burning, agressive feeling of protectiveness towards Shiro.

He swore not to stop caressing his closest friend's back and neck, pressing gentle and soothing touches anywhere he could reach, at least until dawn. He wanted him to feel loved and cared for so that he might focus on something positive for once. Perhaps he could get some real sleep then.

Shiro had been right. Keith was exhausted. And he knew he wouldn't sleep that night.

If that was what it took, he would never sleep again. Fuck it.

Shiro's well-being was his one and only priority. To hell with everything else.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm so sorry for the massive delay in posting this chapter. It's been a few busy months but I hope I'll be able to manage my time a little bit better. And hopefully, the last season (I'm excited but also so incredibly depressed ;_;) will give me even more incentive to continue.
> 
> I have a [tumblr](https://medu-nefer.tumblr.com/), if you wanna hit me up about anything (questions, ideas, anything; I've recently even came up with an idea of young Kolivan being something like a rockman or whatever and I'm loving it, and I really would be thrilled to hear literally anything from you, guys! If you'd like me to write like, ficlets or one-shots about something, let me know, I'm definitely interested in that). I'm not sure how everything's going to pan out with the current situation there but for the time being I visit there every day. I do have a twitter but I think I created it just to see AJ's tweets and I've never learnt how to use it properly, so I rarely even log onto it.
> 
> Anyways, I hope you enjoyed this chapter. I wrote more than half of it just today and by the time I was done, I was really tired after my classes and pretty much a sleepless night, so there must be some typos or something. I'll check it out some other time to make sure it's readable.
> 
> And until I get another chapter out, love you guys for your support! <3

**Author's Note:**

> I'm still not used to sharing my stuff so I'm kind of lost. Any opinions on how I can improve and any sort of feedback would be greatly appreciated!


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